


With a Little Help From My Friends

by tonydeservedbetter



Category: Fantastic Four, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Coming Out, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, in this house we respect Captain America's ass, not on my christian minecraft server bitch, the only valid part of endgame
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 09:24:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18775438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonydeservedbetter/pseuds/tonydeservedbetter
Summary: Something is definitely wrong with Peter. In their line of work, this is nothing new, and Tony really shouldn't be worried. The problem is, Peter won't tell anyone what's wrong.But Tony Stark doesn't take no for an answer.a.k.a projecting my emotional instability onto characters as a coping mechanism.





	With a Little Help From My Friends

Peter’s pen is tapping violently against the steel work surface of the Stark Industries lab, and at this point, Tony’s just about had it. Peter is normally energetic, yes - but this is a new kind of energy, like the boy has been shooting caffeine straight into his veins. The tapping picks up its pace, in sync with the nervous twitching of his leg, and finally, Tony cracks.

“All right kid, are you gonna tell me what’s going on, or do I need to reprogram Friday to read minds?”

Peter’s hands freeze as his head shoots up to stare at Tony like a deer in the headlights.  
Busted.

“I’m fine, Mr. Stark!” he rushes out. “I- I just, uh - I’ve got a lot of homework is all.” Even Peter doesn’t seem convinced by this excuse.

Tony scoffs at him. “What, do you think I was born yesterday Pete? I may not be the best at reading people, but I can sure as hell see that something’s wrong with you.”  
This particular choice of words seems to go over poorly. Peter grimaces, turning away from the table where his disassembled Spidey suit is lying.

“I said, I’m _fine_.”

Yeesh. Tony has never heard such venom from the kid before. If anyone else gave him that kind of attitude he’d be mad as hell, but coming from Peter it’s more concerning than anything else. Tony leans across the workspace, resting his elbows on the center of the table so he and Peter are eye-level. The new closeness seems to make Peter realize who exactly it is that he’s talking to, and a visible wave of shame rolls across his face. Any other time Tony would be laughing at the look on his face.

“Come on, kid, you know you can tell me anything. Whatever’s going on, I’m sure I can help you with it.”

“‘Too late for that,” Peter mumbles. “I already screwed it up.”

  
And suddenly, there are tears rolling down his cheeks as a hiccuping sob escapes the boy.  
“I’m so _stupid!_ ” he manages to get out between gasping breaths, panic setting in. Almost instinctively, Tony shifts into Parent Mode, shoving several prototypes and a rolling chair out of his path as he rounds the table to wrap his teary protege in a patented Tony Stark Hug. Peter sniffles against his chest, and wow, Tony is definitely tossing this t-shirt later. For now though, he just grips him tighter, running one hand up and down his back in soothing patterns and whispering reassurances to the shaking teen in his arms.

“Breathe with me, kid. That’s it, you’re doing good Peter.”

They stay like that for some time, until at last Peter pulls away with a sigh and wipes his eyes with the edge of his sleeve. He seems slightly ashamed of the incident that passed between the two, but also visibly calmer, so Tony will take it as a win.

“So, you ready to tell me what happened?”

Peter looks down, suddenly fascinated by his shoelaces.

“Alright then. Star Wars and ice cream.”

Peter looks slightly incredulous, but he follows Tony upstairs without protest.

“FRI, roll _Empire Strikes Back_ please” Tony calls as he rummages through the freezer.  
“Will do, Boss.”

When he leaves the kitchen, a pint of Ben and Jerry’s in each hand, he sees that Peter has made himself at home on the living room sofa, practically vanishing into the plush cushions. Tony holds up the bounty, offering Peter his pick, and he silently accepts the container of Truffle Kerfuffle. Tony settles in next to him as the opening theme starts rolling, prepared for a quiet night.

They only make it about 15 minutes into the movie before Peter breaks. He stabs his spoon into the half-frozen ice cream and turns sharply to face Tony.

“Johnny kissed me!” he blurts out. Tony’s eyebrows shoot up, and even Peter looks shocked at his own bold admission, as if he didn’t know he had it in him.

“Congrats? I mean, you’ve been in love with him since forever, right?”

Peter blushes so hard Tony thinks he might go up in flames - ha, just like his new beau.  
“I am not in love with Johnny Storm!”

“Sure kid, and I don’t think Captain America has a nice ass.”

Peter splutters and somehow turns an even more violent shade of red. “Gross, Mr. Stark!!”

“Look, I’m just giving you the facts. Point is, you’ve obviously been crazy for that boy since the day you met. I once saw you swing into a fence because you were staring at his face on a billboard.”

“Am I that obvious?” Peter seems oddly nervous about being called out. Clearly, there’s something more to this situation than Tony first realized.

“I mean, yeah, but what’s the big deal? He kissed you, didn’t he? So obviously it’s mutual.”

“That’s not the problem,” Peter mumbles. “I just - I’m not - _Maydoesn’tknowI’mgay_ ,” he rushes out, pulling anxiously at his hair as he does.

Oh. 

“Hey,” Tony reassures him, pulling Peter’s hands away from their warpath and squeezing them tight in his own. “You know how much May loves you. She’s never going to let something like this come between you two.”

“I know, I’m just - scared, I guess,” Peter admits. “I don’t know how to tell her. I don't - I don't know if I  _can_ tell her."

“You’ve got this, Pete. And whenever you’re ready to do it, I’ll be there for if you want.” Peter looks up at him, stunned and a little misty-eyed.

“Really?”

Tony thinks of Howard. The fight they had when he caught Tony in his room with a boy. The bruises that lingered for days. He swallows down the lump rising in his chest. This is about Peter. This is his chance to make things right. Tony knows what it's like, and he won't let Peter go through what he did. 

“Of course, kid,” Tony says, pulling him in for another hug. "You’re not in this alone - not while I’m around."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, thanks for reading my first fic! Please comment if you liked it, hated it, or wish you could erase the trauma of Endgame from your brain.  
> I might also be adding a few more chapters to this fic (telling May, Peter/Johnny, all the good stuff) so let me know if you want to see that!  
> Thanks for reading.  
> \- Ellie. xxx


End file.
